Web-based data storage through Google Drive will be unlimited for students beginning in Fall 2018. This will replace the 1 GB of data storage PNW currently provides for each student on non-web-based H Drives.

H Drives are planned to become read-only in August and to be completely phased out by May 15, 2019, according to Jerrold Martin, director of Technological Infrastructure Services.

Martin also said access to Google Suite online and offline will come with expansion of Google Drive. Martin said the storage switch is intended to be more simplistic and beneficial for students and that Google Drive and apps can be easily accessed from any device.

“Instead of being limited by your H Drive, which is sometimes a hardship for students, we’re promoting Google Drive,” Martin said. “With Google Suite, there is live collaboration as well, so you can share files back and forth while using them.”

Google Suite includes alternative options to Microsoft Office programs such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint as well as video conferencing, calendar and other capabilities.

Nicholas Kizman, junior mechanical engineering major, said he has been using Google Drive and Google Suite, which are available to anyone with a Gmail email address, since he started college. The Google Drive that Gmail provides only offers 15 GB of free storage and apps are only available online, as opposed to the unlimited storage and offline app access Google Drive through PNW will offer.

“I think it’s a pretty good idea that they are doing this,” Kizman said. “Honestly, things probably aren’t going to change too much for me, but having it available through the university will probably help other students who don’t use it as much.”